Newsreel Theatre
1301 Western Avenue,
Cincinnati,
OH
45203
1301 Western Avenue,
Cincinnati,
OH
45203
4 people
favorited this theater
Showing 14 comments
In the ‘70s, the space was rebranded the “Video Theatre” and dabbled in countercultural programming. The original videotape version of Ken Shapiro’s THE GROOVE TUBE sketch program played there, followed by Ernest Pintoff’s “magazine” film DYNAMITE CHICKEN with Richard Pryor, and Emile de Antonio’s documentary MILLHOUSE.
What an oddity! So it became a Newsreel theater before Pearl Harbor?
live performances in 1940
1940_09_29_Cinti Enquirer_Page 80_History of Cincinnati Actors Guild 29 Sep 1940, Sun The Cincinnati Enquirer (Cincinnati, Ohio) Newspapers.com
Beginning around 1948 the theatre was known as the Terminal Art Theatre, specializing in foreign-language films and had considerable devoted clientele.
Terminal Theatre was formerly a Newsreel Th. during World War Two in the 1940’s. One half hour shows as you waited for your next train connection. Later with our museum center conversion it again became a screening room for events and upcoming exhibits. I believe it is currently vacant!
And If You Can See The Sign Well Enough, This Theater Was Previously Known As The Terminal Theatre For Some Reason.
Two 1947 photos added courtesy of Jim Robb. Exterior & interior.
The two linoleum murals on either side of the curtained area in the picture which heads this site disappeared when the Museum Center opened. Never to be seen again. So sad, fortunately other linoleum wall murals still exist in the outer areas on the corridor which heads to the waiting room of the womens rest room.
Although it does not seem to be used any longer the entrance and box office for Newsreel theater at Union Terminal(The Museum Center) is still standing in the rotunda lobby.
A newspaper item from March 1933 lists Willis Vance as in charge of the Newsreel Th. which seats 118 . Showings should last one hour ,Willis also runs the Latonia Theater in Covington,Kentucky .
Here are a few pictures of the terminal in the 30s. I didn’t find any shots of the actual theater:
http://tinyurl.com/m28hu
http://tinyurl.com/l8quq
The 100-seat Newsreel Theatre is operational as of this posting date. The Museum Center (formerly Union Terminal) shows informational videos about the offerings of the Center. In March 2005, Cincinnati World Cinema presented the PaddleFest Film Festival, 18 short films shown in three sessions, depicting white-water and travel kayaking. The event was held in conjunction with a Paddling and environmental exposition; the screenings were sold out.
Prior to that screening, Cincinnati World Cinema presented a Latino film festival back in ‘02, in conjunction with the Latin-American Culture Fest.
“Film” presentation is tenuous at best, as all they have is an old LCD projector with a failing bulb.
Some other newsreel and short subject cinemas located in train stations:
Grand Central Theatre, New York
South Station Theatre, Boston
Victoria Station News Theatre, London
The theatre is restored and part of the Museum Center at Union Station in Cincinnati. Last time I was there they showed old newsreels and the occasional historic presentation about the train station. BTW, for architecture fans, the Rookwood Tea room (the theatre’s counterpart on the other side of the massive rotunda and lobby)is also intact. Only the concourse of the train station is gone (but the giant mosaics live on at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky airport.